Books

“Living Still, Loving Always” – Essays of a Bereaved Parent

Nita Assen

This collection of essays illuminates the heart and soul of a mother living with loss after the simultaneous deaths of her two young adult sons, Erik and David, in a car accident on Thanksgiving Day, 1994. In order to make sense of her reality, she writes to confront her grief head-on, to question societal expectations surrounding loss by death, and to explore what would bring comfort and meaning into her radically changed life. By giving voice to the grief experience, she also encourages others to give the bereaved permission to mourn.

“Swallowed by a Snake”

Tom Golden

Tom Golden, author, speaker, and psychotherapist in private practice, has written the book Swallowed by a Snake. Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing. This book is packed with information that will help you negotiate the tough terrain of grief and move to a place of healing and transformation. It is a book for men or women about the masculine side of healing from loss.

“No Words”

Renee Kimberling

Imagine facing the death of your only two children, five years apart, when they were both twenty-one-years old? No Words, a non-fiction work written by Renee’ Kimberling, details the tragic story of Janet and Tom Rosko. In February of 1994, their daughter Jill, a college junior, was returning from a nursing clinical and died in a car crash with two other nursing students. Five years later their son Jeff, also a college junior, was killed as he was standing in a video store and a van driven by a nine-year-old girl crashed through the window, running him down. The Roskos tell their remarkable story of loss and ultimate survival in the hopes of helping others deal with grief and loss. Their story is unique in that it explores grief from two different perspectives, Tom and Janet. Do mothers and fathers handle loss differently?

“Letters to My Son: A Journey Through Grief”

Mitch Carmody

Authored by a grieving father whose 9-year-old son died following a two-year battle with a recurring malignant brain tumor. During the months that followed his son’s death, the author wrote letters and poems to him posthumously as a catharsis for his grief. The book also describes a trip to Mexico where a spiritual healing occurred as well as compelling evidence of life after death and the reality of miracles. A very unique book that documents an incredible journey of faith and the power of love.

“Tear Soup”

Pat Schweibert

Tear Soup is one of the best and most popular grief resources out there. Although it looks and reads like a fairy tale, or child’s fable, it is actually most informative about grief for adults as well as children.

“Safe Passage: Words to Help the Grieving Hold Fast and Let Go”

Molly Fumia

This book was written by Ms. Fumia as she belatedly mourned the loss of her first-born son. A compassionate, soothing book which helps the grieving hold fast to the memory of their loved one while passing through anger, confusion, guilt and loneliness to acceptance and transformation. Recommended for later on in the grief process.

“When Bad Things Happen to Good People”

Rabbi Harold Kushner

The author wrote this book when he experienced a crisis of faith when his 13-year-old son Aaron died of a rare disease. This national bestseller provides a uniquely practical and compassionate view on tragedy and grief. Kushner suggests that we must come to the conclusion that God is not the author of our misfortunes but rather the source of help and strength. Especially helpful for those dealing with guilt issues or the “if onlys”.

“How to go on Living When Someone You Love Dies”

Therese Rando

This easy and practical read helps you understand the grieving process and find comfort in learning you are “normal” in your grief. This highly recommended self-help book provides specific coping strategies for different situations.

“When the Bough Breaks: Forever After the Death of a Son or Daughter”

Judith R. Bernstein

A psychologist and a bereaved parent, whose twenty-six year old son, Steven, died of cancer. She does not talk about recovery since she doesn’t believe in that concept. Instead she weaves her experience and the contributions of fifty other broken-hearted parents into a wonderful tapestry full of hope and resiliency. This book will help you understand that what you are feeling is normal, and you are not alone.

“The Bereaved Parent”

Harriett S. Schiff

This highly recommended book provides sensitive and practical advice and necessary information to those who have “stared at hell and survived”. As a bereaved parent herself, Schiff’s tender and compassionate treatment of this painful and sensitive subject makes her book a classic.